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Ashley Williams
Ashley Williams is a human soldier who served in the Systems Alliance as a Gunnery Chief in the 2nd Frontier Division on Eden Prime, and was later assigned to Commander Shepard's squad after the geth attack on Eden Prime. She is a potential romance partner for a male Commander Shepard. Involvement Foundation Two days before the attack on Eden Prime, Ashley was at a bar on downtime with her fellow soldiers from Unit 212. Sergeant Donkey kept trying to seduce her to no avail, and Ash even joked about hooking up with Pennyloafer, a girl, instead. The horsing around was interrupted with the arrival of the unit's commanding officer, who presented the soldiers with a recon mission. A beacon was unearthed and the unit was assigned to defend it. Despite being a nominal squad leader, Ashley wasn't given command on the mission, with leadership duties being relegated to Sergeant Donkey. Ashley correctly interpreted the commanding officer's prejudice regarding her Williams heritage, and grudgingly accepted the situation. Unlike the rest of the squads in Unit 212, Ashley's 6-man team Dog Squad was ordered to go to the mission site on foot. During the long trek, Sergeant Donkey expressed his belief that Ashley should be the one leading the mission, praising her ability to keep a level head under pressure. Ashley observed that he was still trying to sleep with her and Donkey didn't deny the assertion, but that didn't mean he wasn't being earnest. Ashley held out hope that maybe she and Donkey will get lucky one day, and continued the march ahead. On the eve of the attack, Dog Squad discovered fellow 212 group Bravo Squad dead on a ditch. Ash was ordered to pair up with Bates to investigate, and noticed that the dead soldiers didn't even have the chance to draw their weapons. Bates was distraught at the sight of a dead soldier he once knew, and Ash put her hand on his shoulder to console him. Intercepted transmissions later indicated that the other squads Able and Charlie were under attack from an unknown enemy. Because of the situation change and the need for a real leader, Sergeant Donkey relinquished leadership of Dog Squad to Ashley. Ashley stirred up the group's fighting spirit and encouraged them to double-time it to the dig site. Dog Squad surveyed the dig site at dawn, and surmised the enemy attackers were geth. They were unfortunately spotted by recon drones and fired upon. Ashley attempted to execute the squad's battle plan: she sent Rasputin to an elevated position, gave Sergeant Donkey orders to create a diversion, and tried to set up an ambush herself. Their flanking maneuver brought down some geth, but the squad began to take heavy casualties. Pennyloafer laid dead and Ashley ordered Jenner to transmit a general warning, but the comm specialist was shot before long. Rasputin and Donkey went down before getting the chance to heed Ashley's retreat call. Bates disappeared and didn't respond to Ashley's hails, leaving her alone to fend off the geth. Ashley would not take defeat lying down, and successfully fought her way out of her surrounded position. She played cat and mouse with the geth until they found her again, and just when she was sure she was dead she got lucky: Commander Shepard and Kaidan Alenko arrived to her rescue. Ashley was approached on the Citadel by an Alliance psychologist named Captain Channing a day after the geth attack, who coaxed her to talk about the events on Eden Prime. Initially wary of the psychologist, Ashley warmed up a little when the introspective moment allowed her to think about what Donkey once said: luck is for the lonely. Mass Effect Ashley Williams is first encountered by Commander Shepard on Eden Prime during the course of Shepard's mission to retrieve a Prothean Beacon. Ashley's unit, the 212, was wiped out by an army of geth also intent on retrieving the beacon. As sole survivor of her unit, and having demonstrated her combat abilities on Eden Prime, Captain Anderson has her transferred to the SSV Normandy. Ashley is uncomfortable about filling a dead man's shoes after the loss of Corporal Jenkins Richards, and blames herself for not being more alert during the geth attack. Over time, she becomes accustomed to the crew, even getting along well with Kaidan Alenko. While off duty, Ashley spends her time in the Normandy's storage section, cleaning rifles. Upon interaction, she will give feedback on recent missions, or the latest shipboard gossip before anyone else. Ashley is interested in Shepard's background. She is amazed that she and Shepard went to the same training facility and even reminisces about getting yelled at by Gunnery Chief Ellison. Ashley enjoys talking about her family. Her father was an enlisted man and she is the oldest of four daughters in the family, followed by Abby, Lynn, and Sarah Williams. Due to her father's frequent deployments, she helped to raise her sisters, and the four siblings grew close to one another as a result. Despite his hard work and dedication, Ashley's father never rose above the rank of Serviceman third class, a fact she is deeply bitter about. Later, it was revealed that her grandfather was General Williams, who surrendered the garrison at Shanxi to the turians during the First Contact War, thus becoming the first human to surrender to an alien force. Her superiors' prejudice against her family meant she had mostly been stuck on groundside garrison posts — preventing her from gaining actual combat experience — despite her exemplary technical scores. Possibly due to the discrimination she experienced, Ashley asserts that a Williams has to be better than the best, to make up for Shanxi, making her dedicated to her job, but also blunt and quick-tempered. Ashley has strong religious beliefs but is hesitant to discuss it with Shepard because she's concerned of the uneasiness it may cause in others. Her faith is strengthened by her work in space — "How can you look out at this galaxy and not believe in something?" — and she believes that her father who had passed away is with God. She still remembers his favorite poem, Tennyson's Ulysses, by heart. When Shepard jokingly states that Ashley is the last person the Commander would expect to hear quoting classical literature, Ashley indignantly replies that just because she can make headshots from a hundred meters doesn't mean she can't like sensitive stuff, though she does request Shepard not to spread it around. Though she is tough and aggressive, Ashley does have a compassionate side: if she met Samesh Bhatia on the Citadel she is very respectful and sympathetic, taking the time to say how much his late wife Nirali loved him. Due to her family history, groundside assignments, and lack of experience in working with other races, she tends to be distrustful of aliens. Ashley doesn't trust the Citadel Council and believes humanity can't rely on them staying allies. She questions the wisdom of allowing aliens to wander around the Normandy freely, and dismisses the Prothean Cipher as "some asari mumbo jumbo", believing the Commander has suffered needlessly to get it. However, Ashley acknowledges that Shepard is in command and the presence of aliens on the Normandy is not her decision. That being said, Ashley isn't xenophobic. She dismisses Terra Firma as a group of xenophobic "jackals" who have replaced the original noble aims of the party with anti-alien paranoia. At Virmire, if Urdnot Wrex is with the Normandy crew and angry with Shepard due to current events, even though Ashley won't hesitate to shoot the krogan. She happily volunteers to go with Captain Kirrahe's team and has no problem with the salarians, respecting their tenacity and skill. At the operation on Virmire, Shepard can choose to save Ashley's life, but at the cost of losing Kaidan. During the debriefing, Ashley gets angry at Shepard's decision, saying Kaidan was a superior officer and she should have been the one left behind. However, Shepard responds by asking how far Ashley is willing to go in order to clear her grandfather's name. Ashley does have qualms about facing the Reapers, claiming she's infantry and will have no place in the upcoming battles but Shepard assures her that she's needed. Eventually Ashley comes to her senses and agrees to work with the Normandy's multi-species crew to stop Saren Arterius, even becoming good friends with Liara T'Soni, Tali, and even Garrus Vakarian and/or Wrex if they are around. Romance A male Shepard and Ashley can build a rapport after Eden Prime that gradually grows into a romantic interest. Though Ashley is receptive, she's also not shy about needling Shepard on his attraction to a soldier under his command. Ashley claims she isn't one for words, but her interest in poetry helps her to say what she feels. When the Normandy is grounded by the Council, Ashley persuades Shepard not to give in and nearly share a kiss before being interrupted by Joker. En route to Ilos, Ashley comes to Shepard's quarters, saying that, after a long career of being sidelined by the Alliance, Shepard helps her to feel "good enough", and the two spend the night together. Ashley continues to tease Shepard; she claims to have something important to tell him, but if he wants to hear it, he'll have to survive Ilos and come back to her first. Mass Effect 2 Provided she did not die on Virmire, Williams continues to serve under Shepard aboard the SSV Normandy. During a routine patrol, the ship came under attack from a vessel belonging to the enigmatic Collectors and Shepard ordered her to evacuate with the rest of the crew. Though she and the majority of the crew managed to escape, the ship was destroyed, with Shepard killed after being blown into space; a fact that shattered Williams. She remained in the service of the Systems Alliance for the next two years and was promoted to the rank of Operations Chief, all the while attempting to move on with her life. However, after a string of Alliance colonies had been abducted, it was believed that Cerberus was involved in these actions. Ashley Williams was even informed of reports indicating that Commander Shepard was alive and working for Cerberus. Thus, she was dispatched to the Horizon colony in order to update its defenses to prepare it for an expected Cerberus assault. However, that proved not to be the case as the planet suffered an onslaught from the Collectors while the defense grid was still non-operational. During the assault, Ashley is attacked and paralyzed by a seeker swarm, but is found after the Collectors leave Horizon. Though she is glad to be reunited with Shepard, she is not very fond of the idea of Shepard working for Cerberus, feeling that the Commander may feel indebted to the pro-human organization for being resurrected. Ashley then leaves and tells Shepard to be careful. If Garrus is with Shepard on Horizon, Ashley will also be surprised that Garrus is working with Cerberus and Garrus will attempt to reason with Ashley claiming her feelings towards Cerberus are blinding her to see the truth behind the attacks. Romance If Shepard pursued a romantic relationship with Ashley in 2183, a picture of Ashley is displayed in Shepard's quarters aboard the Normandy SR-2, showing that Shepard still cares for her. She and Shepard share a brief emotional reunion on Horizon and after the mission, he receives an e-mail from her apologizing for her behavior. She reaffirms her feelings towards Shepard, telling the Commander to "just stay alive out there...Skipper. I can't lose you a second time." Should Shepard choose to remain faithful to Ashley throughout their journey in 2185, Shepard gazes at her picture for several moments and smiles at it during the journey to the Collector Base. Mass Effect 3 Ashley returns to fight the Reapers, provided she survived on Virmire. If she did not, Kaidan Alenko will take her place in the squad. By the time of the events of the Reaper Invasion, Ashley has been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. During the Reapers' invasion of Earth, Ashley assists in evacuating Shepard from Earth on-board the Normandy SR-2, where she then joins Shepard to a mission to recover Prothean data on Mars. Ashley still shows some mistrust towards Shepard after discovering a Cerberus presence on Mars, becoming more worried about the experiments performed on Shepard after discovering that Cerberus processed their own people. Near the end of the mission, after chasing down Dr. Eva, Ashley is critically injured after The Illusive Man orders Dr. Eva to "finish her." After disabling Dr. Eva and fleeing Mars, Shepard takes her to Huerta Memorial Hospital on the Citadel, where she slowly recuperates. While recovering, Donnel Udina offers her Spectre status. Shepard is able to speak to Ashley in the hospital after every major mission, where they can choose to be either friendly or hostile to her. Although Ashley admits that her doubts about Shepard are still present, she promises to work with them and trust them. She tells Shepard about the hard times her sister Sarah is going through as her husband, being a marine, was called back into action. If the Commander asks her about her promotion to Lt. Commander, she remarks the old "Williams curse" must be losing its grip, to which Shepard replies that she'd earned it. In time, Ashley recovers from her injury and accepts Udina's offer. Shepard can speak with her on Huerta Memorial regarding this, with the conversation shifting to her family. Ashley reveals that her family has made it onto the Citadel. She goes on with further detail, saying that her sister's husband Thomas who was a Second Lieutenant stationed on Demeter was killed in action, and that Sarah wants to at least say some words at the Lieutenant's memorial service. When Cerberus invades the Citadel, Ashley is tasked to protect the Councilors but is unaware that Udina is working with Cerberus to take control of the Council. This puts Shepard and Ashley in conflict, and she must be convinced of the truth. Depending on past interactions with her, Ashley can be talked down. If Shepard succeeds in talking Ashley down, she will turn her gun on Udina and order him to stand down. Udina will then raise a gun on the asari Councilor and if Shepard doesn't shoot Udina, Ashley will. If Shepard cannot persuade Ashley to back off, then Shepard will be forced to kill Ashley. If not Shepard, a squad member will shoot her instead. Her name will appear on the memorial wall aboard the Normandy. If Ashley lives through the coup, she meets Shepard by the docks as the Commander is about to return to the Normandy, where she reflects on how they both almost killed each other doing what they believed to be right. Ashley mentions that she was offered a place on Admiral Hackett's team but that if she has any choice in the matter she would rather be on the Normandy. Shepard can either allow her back in or leave her behind to provide assistance in the war. If Shepard hasn't built a good enough relationship with Ashley, she will not offer to return to the Normandy; in this case, Shepard has to be very persuasive to convince Ashley to rejoin Shepard's squad. If Ashley is assigned to Hackett's team instead of being allowed back onboard the Normandy, she sends Shepard an e-mail. Ashley takes up residence on the Starboard Observation Deck, the quarters formerly occupied by Samara. Once on the Normandy, Ashley seldom says anything enlightening if Shepard isn't pursuing a relationship with her. After the turian platoon's rescue on Tuchanka, she sympathizes with the primarch's son, knowing that it's never easy losing people in one's unit. After the bomb's defusal on the same planet, she expresses that it was a "damn shame it went the way it did." She stands by the Memorial Wall to pay her respects to Kaidan. Shepard tells her to put in a good word for them. After bugging out of Utukku alive, Ashley complains that she's still got slime to clean off her armor. She approves of the Queen] (or its replacement) dying, and is distrustful of the deal Shepard brokered if otherwise. She also comments on Grunt, offering condolences if he was killed, or remarking about his "badassery" if he walked out alive. After the evac on Gellix Ashley says she hopes a bunch of ex-Cerberus can be trusted. If Jacob Taylor is alive she's just glad he turned out alright. After blowing up the monastery on Lesuss, if she was on the mission, Ashley remarks that Banshees aren't a side of the asari she wants to see, and acknowledges Shepard's knack for making "unusual" friends if Samara was encountered. She also says she wants to read Sarah's old letters again due to the events that took place on the planet. Ashley expresses her lingering resentment towards the geth after the destruction of the sabotaged geth dreadnought over Rannoch. She sighs in frustration and disbelief that even after all these years, she is still fighting the synthetics. Humorously, Ashley says that the destruction of the geth ship leads to a 1-0 lead of humanity versus the "blinky flashlights". After the rescue attempt on Admiral Koris she approves of Shepard strafing the geth from the shuttle if she was present at the time. If Koris was saved that got her thinking about the value of a good leader, on how many lives should be sacrificed to protect a truly inspired one, and hopes she never has to find out. She does interact with the crew at times, and in one amusing interlude after Shepard's trip to the Geth Consensus Shepard finds Ashley lying wasted on the floor with a hangover. Ash reveals she spent the previous night trying to 'get her mind off stuff' by drinking an entire bottle of unspecified liquor with James Vega. As the other human Spectre lies mewling on the cold starboard floor Shepard can either respond to this with playful banter or strict professional scolding. After the geth-quarian war's conclusion on Rannoch, Ashley offers her perspective on things depending on how events turned out. If Shepard chose the geth leading to the death of the quarians and Tali's suicide, Ashley is heartbroken over Tali's death, saying "she was like a little sister" and that she needs some time to mourn her death. If Tali died months earlier during the suicide mission, Ashley will be much more harsh with Shepard. She knows they need allies to defeat the Reapers, but with her bias against the synthetics she defers to Shepard's decision, telling the Commander they should hope it was the right decision. She further tells Shepard to keep the geth away from her. If Shepard chose the quarians over the geth, Ashley recalls the loss of the 212 on Eden Prime and says she's glad it's over now. She also says it's the right call, with her view on the quarians being a big help with the tech stuff, and that she'd rather scope down some tin can than a person. If Shepard managed to make peace between the quarians and geth, Ashley's impressed on the feat. She expresses skepticism as to how long the peace will last. During one of the downtimes after missions, Ashley sends a mail to Shepard stating that the preparations for Sarah's husband's memorial service are complete. It takes place on the Refugee Docks' Memorial Wall, and Shepard can visit the sisters there in one of the next trips to the Citadel. Ashley sympathizes with Liara's grief after the disastrous mission on Thessia. She tells Shepard she will talk to Liara to ease her suffering. After the mission on Horizon, Ashley is horrified by what the squad found in the ruins, stating that she can't get it out of her head. Just when she thought she's heard of everything, she notes how the plan to lure in refugees was so cold and calculating that she can't understand it. She is glad that she can't, as it's what helps retain her humanity. If Miranda Lawson died on Horizon Ash consoles Shepard, knowing she meant a lot to the Commander. Speaking further, she wonders aloud about what the galaxy's refugees will do now. After the raid on Cronos Station, Ashley comments on the demise of Cerberus, stating that she was glad that it was Shepard who shut them down, adding that it felt right. She never thought that she would see the end of Cerberus, adding "Good riddance." Ashley can be spoken to during the final assault on Earth, loitering near a couple of soldiers and a structure housing the London FOB's holographic communications terminal. Otherwise, if she was previously handed over to Hackett she won't be among the people Shepard can talk to in the FOB's communications center. Restless when Shepard inquires how she's holding up, she asks back if they have a chance, and the Commander assures her there's always hope as it got them so far. She praises Shepard as the reason all of them got to where they are now, and if Shepard answers that Ash and other people like her picked the Commander up when they stumbled, Ash quips back that "hero-lady/hero-man" saved her almost as many times as she saved them. She feels it's been a thousand years since Eden Prime, finding it hard to figure out how they got to their current situation. Ash was always a survivor, and Shepard compliments her as such, though she doesn't really believe it until her Commander adds that she's also a Spectre and a fine soldier. There's one more hill to take, Shepard queries the Lieutenant-Commander if she's ready, and she confidently responds that she is. If Ashley is in the squad at the final push towards the Conduit, she will be killed by Harbinger alongside another squad member if Shepard failed to muster enough of the galaxy's forces for the fight. If she survived and Shepard activated the Crucible, Ashley may be seen convincing Joker to fly the Normandy to safety before getting caught in the blast wave. Much later, Ashley will be among the mourners paying their respects to the fallen at Normandy's memorial wall. Mass Effect 3: Citadel Ashley's presence during and after Shepard's shore leave adventures is dependent on her not being dead or sent to Admiral Hackett after the attempted Citadel coup. Ashley tags along with the rest of Shepard's gang in trying to determine the mastermind behind the latest attempt on the Commander's life. Liara figured out that they have a lead after tracing the M-11 Suppressor Shepard stole from one of the assailants, a weapons dealer named Elijah Khan who happens to run a public event on his Silver Coast Casino. Shepard can bring Ash along in the plan to get answers from the man, and the second Spectre dons a tight blue evening dress for the occasion if chosen. She's also part of Team Mako with Liara and Maya Brooks during the all-out assault on the Citadel Archives, provided Shepard does not require her in the squad. When Shepard's botched shore leave is settled and real opportunities for Citadel R&R arise, Ashley can request a meet with Shepard at the bar, where she challenges the Commander to a drinking contest to prove who is the superior Spectre. Shepard can match her shot-for-shot or allow her to win the challenge. The two have their evening interrupted by a batarian and a vorcha, with the former persistently poking Shepard and proclaiming their dislike for "Alliance types". Shepard quips "rain check" to Ash, and the two "Alliance types" proceed to beat up their aggressors. Ashley can also be used as a squadmate for Shepard for competitions in the Armax Arsenal Arena, not requiring any ally license unlike certain other squadmates. Despite being on Shepard's team, Ashley is an optional invite to the Commander's big party. At the party's first phase she sits with James by the ground floor couches, teasing Cortez. At the party's second phase, if the mood was set to energetic Ashley is encouraged by James Vega to support him in his argument for physical training over biotics. If Ashley and James are both unromanced she flirts with James and shows interest in his physique. As the night goes on the two can grow closer and Shepard may encourage them to hook up, or tell them to cool things off. In the former case, Vega tries to woo her with the Spanish phrase "tu con tantas curvas, y yo sin frenos" ("you with such curves, and me with no brakes"), which Ashley keeps asking him to repeat. If romantic overtures were made to either of them then abandoned at key moments, Ashley vacillates between attraction and rejection, not siding with James during the argument. If everyone was invited to dance at the last leg of the party, Ashley is still by the balcony watching either Vega doing sit-ups or Liara floating James around. If romance did not blossom between the two of them, Ash and James just display their moves in the balcony when Shepard checks in on them. If the mood is set to relaxed for the party's final phase, Ashley sits with Steve, Joker, and most of Shepard's acquaintances in the upper floor couches. If Wrex is around, he recounts the time on Virmire when he was ready to kill for the genophage cure. He asks Ashley if she would've killed him back then. Ash says so without hesitation if he left her no choice, and Wrex announces that he respects her for that. If Shepard is in a relationship with her, the two awake in Shepard's bed the next morning and kiss each other before rising. Ashley can be found standing by the central island counter in the kitchen later regardless of relationship status with Shepard, watching Vega cook eggs. Romance When Shepard visits Ashley in the hospital, she will call him out if he was in a prior relationship with her, but pursued another person while working with Cerberus. She is very judgmental of Miranda and Jack but seems more comfortable with the idea of Shepard and Tali being together, saying "Tali is like a little sister, I totally approve... not that you needed my approval." Though despite saying that, if Shepard hasn't built enough of a friendly rapport with her, Ashley does display signs of jealousy during the assault on the geth dreadnought if brought along with Tali, even making catty remarks towards her. If Shepard has remained faithful to Ashley, the conversations in the hospital are a lot more cheerful and less confrontational. The relationship progresses well if Shepard tries to be as friendly as possible and buys Ashley 'The Collected Alfred Tennyson' from the Sirta Supplies store. If Ashley is chosen to come aboard the Normandy, Shepard can start, or restart a relationship with her. Ashley does not talk a lot on the Normandy. Eventually, Ashley will send an email asking Shepard for help; Ashley is going to comfort her younger sister Sarah who has lost her husband and doesn't want to do it alone. If Shepard is comforting and respectful to Ashley, the relationship is cemented further. Later on, she sends another email asking Shepard to meet her on the Citadel. Ashley tells him how her dad would have liked Shepard. She apologizes for all that has happened between them and asks if they are "going somewhere". If Shepard reciprocates, they share a kiss together. Just before the assault on the Cerberus headquarters, she visits the Captain's Quarters and, unless directly turned down, she tries to comfort Shepard about all the people they've lost. She expresses how she felt lost herself and that it broke her heart when Shepard was dead. At long last, they admit their love for each other, then kiss and spend the night together. In a final conversation between her and Shepard on Earth, they reflect on how many times they've saved each other in the past. Shepard then recites from one of Tennyson's poems The Charge of the Light Brigade, a reference to how poetry has been used to convey their feelings throughout their relationship. Ashley grabs Shepard and tells him she doesn't want him to go and that she loves him. He gently replies that he loves her too and then says 'let's get it done, and go home'. In a breaking voice, Ashley responds "aye aye Captain." If Ashley is the love interest for Shepard, the last thing he will see will be an image of Ashley looking at him and warmly smiling. After the firing of the Crucible, she will be seen placing Shepard's name on the Memorial Wall, or, if the Reapers are destroyed and enough of the galaxy's forces have been mustered, she will smile and refrain from placing the plaque, and the Normandy is seen flying off. Allies *Commander Shepard *Kaidan Alenko *Bates *Garrus Vakarian *Liara T'Soni *Urdnot Wrex *Tali *David Anderson *Samara *Grunt *Zaeed Massani *Kasumi Goto *EDI *James Vega *Joker *Karin Chakwas *Jack *Miranda Lawson *Jacob Taylor *Legion (Determinant) *Steve Cortez *Admiral Hackett *Samantha Traynor *Javik *Kirrahe Enemies *Saren *Geth *Matriarch Benezia *Sovereign *Collectors *Reapers *Harbinger *Cerberus *The Illusive Man *Kai Leng *Donnel Udina Category:Humans Category:Female Category:Mass Effect Category:Mass Effect 3 Category:Determinant Category:Protagonist Category:Mass Effect 1 Category:Mass Effect 2 Category:Marines Category:Soldiers Category:Alliance Category:Spectres Category:Love Interest Category:Black Hair Category:Brown Eyes Category:Bioware Characters Category:Deceased Category:Alive